Skip to Main Content

The University of Tennessee

University of Tennessee Department of Classics

Frequently Used Tools:



Welcome! » Graduate Program » Masters of Public Administration


Master of Public Administraton (M.P.A.)

The M.P.A. is a professional degree program designed to prepare men and women to assume responsible positions in the public service through a program of study that integrates the theory and practice of public administration. The M.P.A. curriculum at the University of Tennessee aspires to produce graduates who are literate in the field of public administration, have the skills to be effective managers of organizational resources, and possess the analytical abilities to be creative problem-solvers.

Degree Requirements: A minimum of 39 semester hours is required for the M.P.A degree. A 24 hour core curriculum, a 9 hour specialized track and a recommended 6 hour internship (that lasts from 3 to 6 months) comprise the basic requirements. Six hours of elective courses may be substituted for the internship if the student has previous administrative experience. Students must also pass a final, comprehensive written examination in public administration after all course work has been completed.

All graduate courses are 3 hours credit. Most full-time students complete the program in about four to five semesters. Students must also pass a computer proficiency exam in 596 Workshop in Computer Applications. This is a 1 hour S/NC course in which the student must receive a grade of S before admission to candidacy.

Core Curriculum (24 hours)

  1. General Perspectives (9 hours)
    Part A. (6 hours required)
    550 Public Administration
    552 Organization Theory
    Part B. (3 hours) Choose any one of the following:
    442 Administrative Law
    539 State and Local Government
    540 Public Law
    546 Law and the Administrative Process
    548 Public Policy Process
    558 Politics of Administration
    566 Ethics, Values, and Morality in Public
    Administration

  2. Analytical Skills (6 hours)
    512 Quantitative Political Analysis
    514 Research and Methodology in Public
    Administration

  3. Management Skills (9 hours)
    Part A. (3 hours required)
    560 Public Financial Management
    Part B. (6 hours) Choose any two of the following:
    562 Public Management
    564 Human Resources Management
    556 Policy Analysis


The Specialized Track (9 hours)

In consultation with the M.P.A. Coordinator, students design a specialized track that consists of at least three related graduate level courses. Possible specialized tracks include: Public Management, Public Policy, Environmental Policy, Criminal Justice, and Recreation and Leisure Studies.

The Internship (6 hours)

Supervised by experienced practitioners, an internship affords students a unique opportunity to apply and to expand upon the knowledge and skills acquired in an academic setting to the tasks and services performed by a public or non-profit agency. An internship is strongly recommended (but not required) for students with no previous work experience in the public sector. Students with public sector experience choose elective courses in lieu of an internship.

Admission Requirements for the M.P.A.

Applicants are expected to have at least a 3.0 overall GPA in all undergraduate work. Applicants normally must have at least a 3.2 average in any political science or social science courses taken during the last two years of undergraduate study. A combined score of 1100 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record examination is desired. Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s potential for graduate study should be submitted to the department of political science.

Financial Aid

M.P.A. students are strongly encouraged to apply for a departmental graduate assistantship that includes a waiver of maintenance fees and tuition. Recipients are also paid a monthly stipend and work twelve hours per week for assigned faculty to perform tasks related to teaching and research.

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST BE ACCEPTED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT TO ENROLL.